Unspoken Distraction
by Mintrosy
Summary: Jack Wilder has an idea. A stupid, indulgent, terribly wonderful idea. He just needs Danny to go along with it and not kill him. Danny, on the other hand, just figures out that fake dating is never a good idea. (Not as fluffy as the summary makes it seem. There are mentions of rape/non-con, abuse, and overall intense angst. This story is primarily Jack/Danny aka Lover's Death).


A beautiful summer day in the vibrant city of Monte Carlo was were the infamous Horsemen magicians found themselves preparing for their next mission. Their leader, Dylan Shrike, had taken them to a nice private building near the wonderfully expansive waters of Monaco. Each of the Horsemen had their own rooms, connected together by a large common area where they spent the majority of their time. The small group had been trying to find a way to infiltrate the private home of international weapons dealer Nathaniel Allavena for almost a week, but the man was paranoid and seemed to have every weak point covered. It was rather frustrating, especially since they had to watch Allavena going around Monte Carlo unconcerned of his highly illegal dealings that ruined the lives of innocent people.

In a rare moment of privacy, J. Daniel Atlas was slowly shifting through the papers resting on the small coffee table that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea. He, just like everyone else, was determinedly trying to figure out a way to obtain access to Allavena's home office, but they seemed to have hit a roadblock. It wasn't until Dylan called him from inside did Danny begin to hope that they actually figured out a way to move on with the mission.

After everyone had sat down on the couch, Dylan grinned and spoke triumphantly, "I know you guys have been working hard on this Allavena mission, and thankfully it has paid off. I found our access point." He stated, amused by the relieved expressions on the Horsemens' faces.

"Goddamn, finally. I thought Atlas here was gonna have an aneurism if we didn't figure it out soon." Merritt said, playfully nudging Daniel beside him.

Danny just huffed in disagreement and addressed his leader, "Well, what is it, Dylan?"

"You know the other day when Jack was trailing Allavena through the casino?" He prompted.

"Yeah, man. And that other guy in the polo and shorts showed up?" Jack remembered.

"Did you find out who he was? Cuz' I'm just guessing that he's our ticket." Lula said as she flipped through some surveillance pictures that Jack had taken.

"Exactly, Lula. Apparently Nathaniel Allavena has a son. If we get close to him, we'll be able to infiltrate the house and take the files from Allavena's office." Dylan explained.

"So what do we know about this mystery son?" questioned Danny.

Dylan sighed, "Not much, unfortunately. His father pulled many strings to keep him unconnected to the Allavena family name. All we really know is that his name is Andrew, he's in his early thirties, and he really loves to party."

"Party, huh? I'm guessing you have a plan?" Merritt said, kicking up his feet onto the table.

"Of course," Dylan assured, "But it'll be a little difficult," He warned vaguely. At the expectant looks on everyone's faces, Dylan continued almost hesitantly, "One of us is going to have to get close to Andrew, and I do mean in the traditional sense. Once trust is gained, the rest of us will be able to carry through with the plan."

"Uhh, by 'traditional', you do mean dating, right?" Jack questioned warily.

Dylan shrugged apologetically, "More or less."

"Okay, let's stop beating around the freaking bush, alright? We all know who's going to have to snuggle up with Mr. Bad Boy, and let me just say? This is total bullshit." Lula ranted, glaring at the men.

Dylan smirked at this, "Actually, Lula, you lucked out on this one. Allavena's son has displayed a rather specific requirement in all his partners."

"And what's that?"

"They're all male." There was a beat of silence before Lula burst out laughing.

"Haha, o-oh my god. This is freaking amazing!" She cackled loudly.

While Lula was gloating at the hilarious turn of events, Daniel and Jack stared at Dylan with varying levels of emotions. Danny was borderline angry while still maintaining the deer-in-the-headlights look, and Jack was staring with an expression that was equal parts confused and shocked.

"So...who's going to do it?" Jack nervously asked.

"Andrew's going to a nightclub downtown tonight. We're sending you and Atlas in to try and get his attention." Dylan informed, ignoring Lula and Merritt's devious smirks.

"My money's on the more, shall we say, feminine of the two." Merritt insinuated.

Lula laughed, "No way, man. It's pretty much impossible to resist Jack when he sets his mind on something. I'll take you up on that bet."

"Guys, guys. Betting on who Andrew will pick isn't important, we just need to get the job done." Dylan playfully scolded, "Besides, what you should really be betting on is how long they'll last being in the company of a spoiled, rich party boy."

As Merritt, Dylan, and Lula loudly conversed and teased, Daniel walked over toward the kitchen. "This is going to be really uncomfortable." He said to himself, and poured a cup of coffee.

Jack heard him as he walked over to get his own drink and patted Daniel on the back, "Hey, I bet it won't be that bad, and I'll be there to help you loosen up a bit. Seriously, when's the last time you've danced?"

Daniel sniffed haughtily, "I don't need to dance to get someone to buy me a drink."

Jack grinned widely, the fire of competition burning in his eye, "Oh, you're so on, Atlas."

...

The heavy bass of the electropop music reverberated through the packed dance club, its fast and catchy beats enticing mass movement on the dance floor. Danny and Jack were both sitting at the neon-lit bar, waiting patiently for their target to show up while the other Horsemen were back at the safehouse going over the next step of the plan. In order to look the part, the two men had each decided to dress more flattering than they usually did. Both wore dark skinny jeans, but while Jack had ditched his usual leather jacket and only had on a tight short sleeved shirt that displayed his firm biceps, Danny had worn a faded blue long sleeved shirt that effectively showed off his lithe frame and long limbs.

The duo mingled amongst the rowdy crowd and inconspicuously sipped at their drinks, having to occasionally reject some rather persistent sexual advances. After about twenty minutes of observation, Jack felt Daniel nudge his shoulder and lean close to him.

"Target's here. East side of the dance floor. By those two blonds." The showman assessed. Daniel and Jack quickly split up and began acting out their own methods to catch Andrew Allavena's attention.

Jack jump right into the crowd of swaying and gyrating bodies, and mimicked a rather risqué form of dance. As the club's rainbow lights swept across the large room, Danny found himself strangely mesmerized by Jack's fluid hips moving from left to right with his hand carelessly thrown into the air. He quickly snapped himself out of his trance as Allavena's son strolled up to the bar and ordered a beer. Daniel tried to interact with him, but he knew that the loud pulsing music would diminish any chance of carrying a conversation. Sighing to himself when Allavena failed to notice him, Danny got up from his seat and signaled for Jack to meet him towards the back of the club.

The concrete wall separating the dark hallway from the dance floor was able to muffle the loud music just enough for Danny and Jack to hear each other as they rethought their plan.

"This isn't working. He isn't even looking in our direction." Danny grumbled, rubbing his hands together nervously.

"Yeah, which is weird cuz' I think I was pretty hot out there." Jack jokingly agreed.

Danny shoved him exasperatingly, noticing that Andrew was slowly making his way to the smoky hallway as well. "Be serious, how are we going to do this?" Danny hissed and looked over at Jack.

The sleight had a strange expression, and tilted his head to the side before speaking slowly, "I think...that I have an idea," Jack grinned mischievously, "But you're not gonna like it."

"I'll do whatever to complete the mission." Daniel challenged warily.

Jack's eyes glinted with humor and something else Danny couldn't quite place, "All you need to do is follow my lead, 'kay? Push me into Andrew when he passes us, and try not to punch me."

Danny furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "Punch you? Why in the world would I-mmpfh!"

The sentence was muffled by Jack suddenly lunging forward and attaching his lips to Danny's open lips. Jack quickly took advantage of the man's shocked state and dipped his tongue into Danny's mouth while pinning him to the wall.

The kiss was unlike anything Danny had ever experienced before, and it made his heart to feel like it was about to burst out of his chest. The usual feeling of sticky lipstick and plush chests was replaced by Jack's solid, hungry presence. It was wildly passionate, extremely exhilarating, and basically every other emotion that Danny would use to describe Jack himself. Suddenly, Jack broke the kiss and placed his warm lips on the sensitive areas of the showman's neck. A breathy noise caught in Danny's throat and caused Jack to tighten his grip on the man's hips.

" _J-Jack_..." He whined, embarrassment coloring his cheeks. Nonetheless, he found himself grabbing onto the man's firm shoulders and tilting his head to give Jack better access to his skin.

Jack smiled and murmured into Danny's neck, "Hey, remember code names. Get ready." He said as he saw Andrew approaching out of his peripheral vision.

Danny, while still dazed by the sudden turn of events, was able to time the shove perfectly as Allavena's son walked past them.

As Jack roughly collided with Andrew, he addressed Danny by the fake name they had decided on earlier, "What the hell, Jason!?" He snarled before picking himself up and threateningly advancing toward Danny.

Danny pressed his back against the wall and shifted his expression to one of fake fear, "I told you to leave me alone, David! Y-you had your chance, we're done!" He exclaimed convincingly.

Andrew, obviously still surprised from the initial collision and being so blatantly ignored, suddenly stepped between the two disguised Horsemen and placed a hand on Jack's chest to keep him from 'attacking' Danny.

"Hey, leave him alone." Andrew warned, looking down at a furious looking Jack.

Jack frowned and slapped Andrew's hand off him, "Fuck you, man. This is none of your business."

Andrew squared up to Jack and glared darkly at him, "You made it my business when you ran into me. Now, leave this guy alone and get out of my father's club."

Jack looked around at the two large men approaching them, and sneered at Danny, "Whatever, this isn't over Jason." After glaring at the two men one last time, Jack reluctantly shrugged through the crowd and exited the building.

Danny was left with their target's full attention on him, which was exactly what he needed to move forward with the mission. He just had to play his cards right and build on the foundation that Jack had laid out for him.

"Uh, thanks. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't intervened." Daniel thanked nervously, trying to play on Andrew's glaringly dominant personality.

"No problem, that guy seemed like a real ass. Do you maybe want to hang out with me in case he comes back?" He offered, glancing at Danny's eager face.

"Yes, that would be great. Thank you." Danny sighed gratefully and followed Andrew to the VIP section of the club. As they made their way through the crowd, Danny found himself smirking at the success of gaining Andrew's attention thanks to Jack's strange but effective idea. As the magician and his unwitting target sat down on the soft couch, Daniel couldn't help but wonder why Jack had been so willing to kiss him like that. However, he decided to think about it later as he had to continued to play his role of lovesick puppy for the sake of the mission.

Daniel smiled warmly at Andrew and all but simpered, "It's nice to meet you. My name is Jason, what's yours?"

...

Jack waited outside for Danny for what seemed like hours after he left him with Andrew, pacing in one of Monte Carlo's many alleyways and resisting the urge to storm back in there and take Danny away from that creep. It was just past 2am when Daniel finally exited the nightclub with Andrew following behind him. Jack watched unhappily from the shadowy walkway as Andrew and Danny clung to each other and laughed, before climbing into an expensive looking car.

Jack stealthily followed them on his motorcycle and was surprised when Andrew stopped a couple blocks from the Horsemen's base. He watched as Danny got out of the car and walked around to lean against the driver's side window where Andrew still sat. The two talked for a couple more minutes before Danny straighten up and waved as Andrew sped away into the night.

Jack waited until the car was completely out of sight before cruising up to Daniel.

"You were just supposed to talk to him and then we would drive back to the others." Jack reminded resentfully.

Oblivious of Jack's agitation, Danny quickly responded, "Drew wanted to drive me home, he said he didn't want me to run into you again, _David_." He laughed happily.

"He's 'Drew' now? That was fast." Jack said skeptically, one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, that's what he said to call him," Danny waved dismissively, "I'm just glad everything worked out. Now we just need to get him to take me inside Allavena's house, and then I can get the files no problem." He smiled.

Jack tried to reciprocate Danny's surprisingly good mood, but something just wasn't sitting right with him. Even so, Jack plastered on a smile and laughed good-naturedly, "Yeah, let's get back and tell the others." Danny nodded and mounted the motorcycle before Jack drove the short distance back to the seaside safehouse.

The two men unlocked the door and entered the main living room, where they discovered Lula, Merritt, and Dylan were waiting for them. Or rather, had tried to wait for them. All three were passed out on different pieces of furniture in the room. Lula was sleeping on the couch, her arms were bent under her head and legs stuck in the air, and the two older men were both resting on separate armchairs. However, while Merritt was still snoring loudly, Dylan seemed to have been woken up by the sound of the door closing.

He sleepily looked at Danny and Jack, his tired face asking an unspoken question.

Jack just gave a thumbs up, and Dylan nodded slowly before ducking his head down to fall back asleep. Jack and Daniel walked to their own doors and wished each other goodnight before entering their respective rooms, each reminiscing on the events that had happened that night.

...

The next morning, the five magicians were having a late breakfast around the large kitchen table and discussing the best course of action now that Daniel had hooked Andrew's attention.

"You know," Merritt spoke after taking a bite out of his bagel, "This mission seems very one-sided if you ask me."

"Well nobody did, and what do you mean one-sided?" Atlas asked indignantly.

Lula piped up from behind her coffee mug, "I think that Merritt, and stop me if I'm wrong, is trying to bring attention to the fact that Danny gets to do all the fun stuff while we just wait around for something to happen." She explained quickly.

"What do you mean 'fun stuff'? We get to sit back and relax while Danny has to spend time with that creep just to get into his house." Jack countered, turning away from the group to open the fridge.

The showman nodded, "Besides, Dylan said you guys are going to be doing plenty of recon while I'm out." Danny smirked when Lula dramatically threw her head back in annoyance.

"Boooorr-ring." She groaned.

Dylan looked up from the papers in his hand and addressed the group, "The rest of us will get involved, for now we just have to be patient and have faith in Atlas."

"Thanks Dylan, I'll get into Allavena's office in no time. How hard could it be?"

...

Two weeks later, Danny had still not managed to convince Drew to bring him to his father's house. The past fourteen days were spent texting and meeting the eccentric playboy at various parties and events that usually lasted well past midnight. Danny had been getting very little sleep, and was running solely on coffee in order to keep up with Drew's lifestyle. He had trouble focusing at times and he swayed a bit as he walked, but no one noticed due to his near constant absence from the safehouse.

It was extremely frustrating for the other Horsemen to be inactive, and Jack seemed especially agitated at the situation. Daniel assumed it was because of the lack of progress in the mission and the anticipation to get back in action, but whenever he brought up a new 'date' idea to the group that could potentially lead him to his objective, Jack almost always left the room.

The times that Danny was at the base, he almost always spent talking about Drew, whether it be his schedule, odd habits, or family ties. It was only when Danny proposed yet another idea to exploit Drew's weakness for alcohol to get into Allavena's home did Jack finally snap.

"Jesus, man. Can we please talk about something else?" He scowled and sunk deeper into the couch.

Daniel furrowed his eyebrows, "What do you mean? I thought you guys wanted to get this done as soon as possible."

"I'll admit that this mission has been dragging on, with no fault of Atlas', but don't you think it's time to call it quits?" Merritt offered questionably.

"Yeah, maybe, and hear me out, we should switch tactics?" Lula offered.

"No, I'm so close to finishing this. I just need a little more time." Danny argued.

"Are you sure about that? Cuz' it kinda sound like you just don't want to admit defeat." Jack muttered.

"Excuse me? No, seriously, what's your deal? You've been acting like an ass for the past week and a half!" Daniel snapped angrily.

"I've been acting like an ass?! What about you? You're the one that basically been swooning over that douche and talking about him nonstop!" Jack shouted. Merritt and Lula exchanged a look and quietly exited the room, clearly wanting to avoid the argument Jack and Danny were about to have.

Danny stood up and glared at Jack, "I'm just trying to do my job and find a way to steal those damn files." He spoke furiously.

"That doesn't mean you have to act like Andrew's little boytoy, man." Jack spat insultingly.

Taken aback, Danny's eyes widened and he Jack could see the dark rage brewing in his eyes, "Fuck you, Wilder. I'm not doing this for fun, or have you forgotten the mission?" He sneered.

Jack bristled, "No, but you don't have to act so-"

"So what?" Daniel menacingly interrupted.

"Like you're in love with the asshole!" Jack shouted exasperatedly.

"I'm not! I just want the mission to work! And Drew needs to trust me for that to happen!" As Danny spoke, a sharp ping of a new message on his phone sounded. He looked at it quickly and grabbed his wallet from the table. "I'm meeting Drew at his house, tell the others that I'm moving forward with the plan. We'll talk later." Daniel spoke coldly, and turned away from Jack.

"Whatever, man. It's not like you'll understand anyway." Jack sneered as Danny opened the front door. Danny paused in the hallway, about to respond scathingly to Jack's harsh comments, but he thought better of it and just shut the door loudly behind him.

...

It had already gotten dark by the time Danny met Drew at the large Allavena estate. "What took you so long?" Drew questioned, crossing his arms.

"Traffic, and I couldn't find which road to take." Danny explained apologetically. This was a lie however, Danny had been canvassing the area and making sure everything was good to go for when he snuck into the office on the third floor later that night when Drew was distracted.

"Really, that's the reason?" Drew narrowed his eyes and stared at Daniel accusingly.

Danny tilted his head slightly in confusion and rubbed his hands together, "Uh, yeah. You don't believe me?"

"Oh no, I believe you. I was just wondering if your lateness had to do with your ex." Drew remarked sharply, something dark shifting in his body language. Danny was bewildered by Drew's sudden suspicions, but he decided to keep his story as close to the truth as possible in order to be believable and easy to remember.

"You mean David? He did show up at my apartment and we argued, but I left as soon as you texted me." Danny frowned.

"Your apartment?" Drew spoke slowly, and Danny took a small step back at Drew's threatening aura.

"It was no big deal, seriously." Danny was starting to become nervous that Drew was actually angry at him, or worse, that he had discovered the Horsemen's secret agenda against the Allavena family.

"Let's go inside." Drew said instead of replying. At Danny's hesitation, he grabbed his arm in a tight grip. " _I said come inside_." He hissed darkly. Drew practically dragged Daniel through the living room and up the stairs of the building.

Daniel tried pulling his arm out of the man's bruising hold, but the lack of sleep over the past two weeks made him vulnerable. On top of that, Daniel's rush to get out of the Horsemen's safehouse earlier that evening had caused him to forget all his defensive props.

"Drew stop! What the hell is wrong with you!?" Danny exclaimed shrilly after being pushed roughly into a dark bedroom, unsure of how to regain control of the situation.

"You want me to stop? I haven't even done anything yet." Drew snarled and backed Danny against a nearby wall. He grabbed his shoulders and leaned in close to Danny's terrified face.

"You're mine." He shook Danny roughly, "You hear me? Mine."

Daniel's eyes darted around the room, trying to find something to help him get away from the crazed man. His breathing came quickly, and he attempted to escape by pushing all his weight against Drew, but the man kept him pinned to the wall. "Let go Andrew! I'm serious." Panic edged his voice, and he tried reaching for his phone in his pocket.

Drew quickly saw this and snatched the phone out of Danny's hand and threw it across the room, effectively shattering the device.

"You were going to call him, weren't you! I better not see you anywhere near that bastard David again or I'll fucking kill you, got it?" He yelled and grabbed Danny's throat roughly.

"You're being ridiculous, nothing is happening between us!" Danny frantically gasped. Andrew's grip was punishingly tight on this neck, causing dark spots to blink in front of Danny's vision.

" _You're lying_." Dark anger rolled off Andrew, and Danny felt a spike of fear as Drew squeezed tighter, cutting of the magician's air completely. Adrenaline coursed through Danny's body, and he managed to rip out of Drew's grip. He backed away quickly, glancing around the room for anything at all to help him escape, but he was disoriented from the rough treatment.

"You're fucking mine, whore. You better not ever even think of disobeying me again." Drew said as he advanced toward Danny with dark expression. Danny yelped as he tripped over a small table and landed on the ground harshly. Drew was suddenly over him, and Danny shut his eyes tightly when the other man pinned his hands above his head.

"You want it, don't you? You want me to teach you a lesson." He growled, squeezing Danny's wrists tightly enough to leave bruises.

"N-no, Drew stop." Danny pleaded, quickly descending into a full blown panic attack.

Andrew chuckled wickedly, "You shouldn't have upset me. I'll make it so that you'll never try to betray me again."

The only thought that ran through Danny's mind as Drew descended upon him, was that he should've seen it coming.

...

Hours later, Danny slowly made his way up to the Horsemen's central living area to get to his room. He had stayed curled up on the cold floor of Andrew's large bedroom long after the man had left. It was only when he was limping through the deserted streets back to the safehouse did Daniel realize he didn't even get into Allavena's office in his desperate rush to leave the house. Letting out a shaky sigh, Danny ducked his head down and berated himself for his stupid mistake. His hands shook violently as he fumbled with the keys for the door. The door opened to reveal Jack looking unimpressed at Danny. The showman froze and tensed up at Jack's sudden presence and piercing gaze. He knew how he looked, his hair a mess and shirt ripped at places, not to mention the beginnings of some ugly looking bruises peeking from under his clothes. All in all, Danny looked and felt like a disheveled mess, and he knew that Jack wouldn't hesitate to call him out on it.

"You said we'd talk later." Jack prompted, narrowing his eyes at the way Danny shifted his weight from side to side.

"Not now, Jack." Danny forced out while waiting for Jack to let him through the door. Jack came closer and Danny reflexively took a step back. "Jack, seriously. I-I just, I need to be alone right now, okay?" His voice was tight, and he pushed past the man.

Jack grabbed Danny's wrist as he tried to get to his room. A terrified expression crossed Danny's face as he ripped his arm from Jack's loose grip. Unfortunately, Jack completely misread the situation, and became consumed by anger.

"You had sex with him." He asked simply, already knowing the answer. Jealously bubbled up within Jack, preventing him to see what had actually happened.

"Leave me alone, Jack." Danny growled harshly, he felt a panic attack coming and needed to get away from the angry magician.

"Did you at least get the files?" Jack called scathingly as Danny made his way through the doorway of his bedroom.

Danny paused, chest tight and body trembling at Jack's obliviousness, "No, sorry to disappoint." He snarled before slamming the door behind him and sliding down the wall, clutching his arms to his chest as he tried to breathe.

It was too much for Danny to deal with, fear and disgust spread throughout his entire being, and he couldn't help but wonder what everyone would think of him if they knew what had happened with Andrew. Would they think he was weak and incapable of helping himself? Or worse, that he had let it happen?

Daniel felt an overwhelming hatred for himself that stemmed from his failure to retrieve the files, for putting himself in danger, even for making Jack hate him. Danny's mind raced and vision tunneled, with all the self-destructive thoughts caving in on him. In the worst panic attack of his life, J. Daniel Atlas was utterly alone, and this depressing fact constricted around him as he fell unconscious against his bedroom's door.

...

The next morning, a loud knock startled Danny awake. "Atlas?" Dylan asked on the other side of the door, causing Danny to flinched at the closeness of the voice.

"Yeah?" Daniel croaked, unsure of his sudden anxiousness.

"Can you open the door?" Dylan sighed when heard no movement on Danny's side, "Jack told me that you didn't get the files. I just wanted to make sure you weren't beating yourself up too hard over it. We'll find a different way in, it's okay to fail sometimes." Dylan assured the silent Horseman.

"Okay, thanks Dylan." Danny finally spoke through the door and closed his eyes at the familiar feeling of guilt smothering him.

Dylan hummed, "Well, come out when you're ready. We're going to go through some new ideas over lunch." He said and walked away to the other Horsemen, sure that Daniel would join them soon enough. However, Danny did not come out of his room for lunch, or dinner for that matter. In fact, Danny actively tried avoiding everyone for the next couple of days, especially Jack. The others assumed it was because of embarrassment for delaying the mission, but after yet another meeting without Danny, Jack had been tasked with figuring out what was wrong with the showman. When he asked the others why he was the one that had to do it, they just rolled their eyes and walked away.

Jack went to Danny's bedroom and knocked twice against the door. Jack knocked louder for the third time, but still heard no response from the showman.

"C'mon man, I know you're in there." Jack huffed.

"I'm...busy." Danny's voice was muffled, and Jack had to strain to hear it.

"Like hell you are. You've been in that room for days, I'm coming in." Jack decided, pulling out his lockpicks.

"N-no!" Danny protested frantically, "I mean, don't come in. This is my space, Jack."

Jack ignored Danny and within less than ten seconds had the door unlocked. He pushed it open to reveal Danny standing towards the corner of the dark room, arms crossed tightly around his torso and glaring at Jack. Considering it was Daniel's room, it was unusually cluttered and unorganized. Danny himself looked horribly disheveled, parts of his long hair were sticking up at odd angles and his clothes were very wrinkled and baggy. Furthermore, the dark circles under the magician's eyes and paler than usual complexion hinted that Danny had not eaten or slept well in awhile.

"You can't just barge in here." Danny hissed, turning his head to the side to avoid Jack's piercing gaze.

"You look like shit," Jack said plainly, "Why are the lights off?"

"Because I look like shit." Danny replied sarcastically.

Jack just shook his head and moved closer to the middle of the room, not noticing the way Danny tensed and minutely shifted into a defensive stance.

"You haven't been to the meetings, Dylan wanted me to figure out what the hell's wrong with you." Jack remarked, growing frustrated at Danny's flippant attitude.

Daniel tapped his fingers against the desk, "What do you think is wrong?" He questioned offhandedly. There was a strange sort of tension in the room, it felt as though the two men were on completely different pages yet still believed that they were arguing about the same thing.

"I think," Jack began, "That you're upset that you couldn't do your part."

Danny nodded, "Of course." He agreed, abandoning the far corner of the room to move closer to where Jack was standing.

"I mean, you let him fuck you to get the files, but it didn't work. So now your upset that you were wrong." Jack continued callously.

Danny froze immediately, a unidentifiable mix of anger and something else radiating off him. His expression morphed to something dangerous, and he addressed the other Horseman with a tone that Jack had never heard from him before.

"I didn't, Wilder. You better stop now before you say something you'll regret." Danny warned lowly.

"Don't fucking lie to me Atlas, I saw you the other night, remember? You can't deny that you fucked him." Jack exclaimed, pointing at Danny accusingly.

Danny clenched his fists to his side and growled threateningly, "Stop now."

"Don't tell me what to do, just fucking admit it." Jack yelled exasperatedly.

Danny gripped his hands together tightly and yelled at the angry man, "You're being an asshole, Jack. You don't even understand."

"What's there to understand?" Jack snarled, "You let him fuck you just because of this stupid mission, and then-"

" _I said stop_!" Danny shouted shrilly, interrupting Jack's furious rant. At the resulting silence due to his outburst, Danny quickly lost his nerve and felt the desperate anger drained out of him. Jack looked at Danny expectantly, giving the showman no choice but to continue.

"I-I didn't _let him_." He whispered, shaking quietly.

Jack's confused expression lingered for a couple of seconds before rapidly shifting to one of shocked disbelief.

"Wait-"

"Yes, ok? Yes, Andrew fucking _raped_ me, and I couldn't do anything to stop it! A-and I know you hate me, but I just c-can't-" Danny tried to remain in control, but he couldn't stop his increasingly violent shaking and shallow breathing. Danny could feel yet another panic attack creeping up on him, which was the reason why he didn't even realize that Jack had moved across the room and standing directly across from him. Danny's panicked eyes snapped Jack's face, and he spoke with all the remaining strength that he had left, "Get out."

Jack was taken aback at Danny's vulnerable state, but he still held his ground. "Danny, I'm not going anywhere. You need help."

"Jack, leave. I-I can't do this anymore." Danny was on the verge of a total mental breakdown, and he didn't want Jack to see him like that. It was already bad enough that he knew what Andrew had done to him.

But Jack just shook his head and held up his hands in a placating gesture. He slowly walked towards Daniel and spoke calming words to the distressed magician, making sure to telegraph his movements long before he actually made them. Danny was too far into his crisis to acknowledge Jack, and he only responded to him when solid arms anchored around his shoulders and pulled him close. Danny's breath hitched and he felt Jack loosen his arms just a bit.

"Danny, I-I'm sorry. God, I didn't mean..." Jack swallowed around the lump in his throat and looked at the trembling man in his arms. "I don't hate you, Danny. I don't think I ever could."

Danny looked at Jack intensely, but said nothing, so Jack continued.

"I'm sorry for acting like an asshole, I guess I was jealous. A-and I know that doesn't excuse what I've said, but I want you to know that I really am sorry." Jack confessed nervously, "I know you're not fragile, and I'm not going to judge you if you talk to me about it. I'll listen, because you can't keep something like that a secret. It'll destroy you, man." Jack pleaded, "Please, Danny, let me help you."

They stood there like that for a long time, neither wanting to shatter the moment, but after several minutes, Danny murmured something so quietly that Jack almost missed it.

"I-I think I love you, Jack." He whispered hesitantly, but as soon as the words left his mouth, Danny tensed up and pulled away quickly from Jack, his eyes wide as if he just realized what he had said.

Jack was once again shocked my Danny's words, but he quickly responded before Danny could backtrack on his confession. He stood only a foot away from the showman, and slowly reached out to touch Danny's face.

"Can I kiss you?" Jack asked intensely.

Danny's anxious expression didn't diminished, but he still nodded and stuttered, "Y-yes."

The kiss was drastically different from the one in the nightclub. Their first kiss had been hungry and overpowering, but the way that Jack cradled Danny's face and gently kissed him with soft lips almost made the magician's knees weak. However, this kiss was no less passionate than the first, and all the unspoken words the two had yet to share seemed to spill out with their warm pressing of lips.

"I love you, Danny. Since the beginning, I just was never good at showing it."

Danny laughed lightly, "It's okay, Jack. I could've been better too."

Jack hummed, "Get some sleep, I'll see you in the morning, okay?" Danny nodded and watched Jack walk to the door and close it behind him.

As Danny was getting ready to sleep for the first time in days, Jack quietly gathered some props from around the living room. He grabbed his phone and shot a quick text to Dylan saying that he was going out before exiting the safehouse.

The streets of the city were brightly lit and the strong ocean breeze made Jack glad that he had put in his thick leather jacket. Before long, Jack found himself in front of the Allavena's house. He didn't really have a plan, but he knew he couldn't try to sneak in, the security systems were too good for that. So instead, Jack did what was probably the most stupidly dangerous thing he could've done, he rang the doorbell.

Jack waited at the gate for several minutes, staring at the camera in hopes that Andrew would recognize him and let him inside. Jack's hopes were answered when the heavy gate unlocked and swung open. He made his way across the decorative lawn and stepped inside the large house to see Andrew coming down the stairs.

"It's David, right? I'm surprised to see you here. Did Jason run off to you as soon as he left here? I should've figured that whore would." Andrew smirked, amused by Jack's rage.

"Shut the hell up, man." Jack growled, stepping closer to the man.

Andrew laughed maliciously, "Oh, that hit a nerve, didn't it? I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but Jason _begged_ for me to take him. Even when I-"

Andrew was cut off by Jack's fist slamming into his face. The Horseman continued to punch and kick Allavena until he was a bloody mess laying on the marble floors.

"You're a fucking liar," Jack snarled, "And his name is Danny, you fucking bastard."

He then delivered one last sharp kick to the side of Andrew's head that rendered him unconscious, and quickly made his way up the stairs to the office. After a couple failed attempts on the lock, Jack finally made it in and located the files. He heard the sound of multiple heavy boots making their way up the stairs, so he opened the window and rapidly climbed down the side of the building.

Jack was out of breath by the time he made it back to the Horsemen's base, and he placed the documents in the center of the room for Dylan and the others to find in the morning. After getting cleaned up, Jack peeked into Danny's room to make sure he was still okay. When he saw Danny laying on the bed, Jack moved to close the bedroom door. However, Danny's soft voice stopped Jack in his tracks. The showman sat up slowly on his bed and looked at the doorway were Jack stood.

"Jack? What happened to you?" Danny asked tiredly, faintly noticing the bloodied bandages wrapped around Jack's knuckles.

"I'll tell you tomorrow, sorry for waking you."

"Can you...can you stay with me?" Danny sighed, wanting to be close to the sleight once again.

Jack smiled and climbed into the bed next to Danny, "Of course."


End file.
